Lemon Chicken Thighs

I had some chicken thighs to use up so I went in search of a recipe. I found one on Simply Recipes that looked and sounded perfect. I adapted it to use what I had on hand and to suit our tastes. I wondered if marinated it in pure lemon juice without any olive oil would make the chicken too tart but it didn’t. It gave a nice lemon and herb flavor without being overpowering. The chicken was moist, tender, and delicious. We all loved it especially my husband. I served this chicken with the Roasted Cauliflower with Fresh Herbs, Parmesan, and Lemon and they paired very well together.

Place lemon juice, lemon zest, crushed garlic, thyme leaves, and parsley together in a zip lock bag; mix until well combined. Add the chicken thighs to the marinade. Rotate the bag so that all chicken pieces are coated evenly with the marinade. Seal the bag and place in the refrigerator to marinate for 2 hours.

Remove the chicken 20 minutes prior to baking to come to room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Coat a baking pan with cooking spray.

Remove the chicken from the bag and place on a plate. Season both sides of the chicken evenly & well with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper. Place the chicken into the prepared baking dish then drizzle a touch of olive oil on each thigh, if desired. Place into the oven and bake for 40-45 minutes, or until the juices are running clear. Halfway through baking (around 20 minutes), baste with the remaining marinade. Remove from the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes prior to serving. Enjoy.

Directions:

Place lemon juice, lemon zest, crushed garlic, thyme leaves, and parsley together in a zip lock bag; mix until well combined. Add the chicken thighs to the marinade. Rotate the bag so that all chicken pieces are coated evenly with the marinade. Seal the bag and place in the refrigerator to marinate for 2 hours.

Remove the chicken 20 minutes prior to baking to come to room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Coat a baking pan with cooking spray.

Remove the chicken from the bag and place on a plate. Season both sides of the chicken evenly & well with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper. Place the chicken into the prepared baking dish then drizzle a touch of olive oil on each thigh, if desired. Place into the oven and bake for 40-45 minutes, or until the juices are running clear. Halfway through baking (around 20 minutes), baste with the remaining marinade. Remove from the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes prior to serving. Enjoy.

Adapted recipe and photos by For the Love of Cooking.net
Original recipe by Simply Recipes